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Humboldt County must plan for 5,962 new homes over the next decade to meet state housing mandates. About a third of those — up to 1,855 dwelling units — must be located in Eureka.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Eureka City Council got its first look at the state-issued Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for 2027-2035, which would nearly double the housing targets set in the city’s current planning cycle, which began in 2019.

Every eight years, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) calculates how many new homes cities and counties must plan for to accommodate population growth and meet housing needs across all income levels. The HCD looks at the current number of units in a given jurisdiction and compares it to population estimates and various other factors to determine the total RHNA, as shown in the table below.

Eureka’s RHNA could be anywhere between 1,530 and 1,855 new units, depending on the allocation methodology selected by the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG), said Development Services Director Cristin Kenyon.

“If Eureka receives the RHNA of 1,740 units, that’s an assignment of 218 net new units per year, which is almost double what we had last time,” Kenyon said, noting that the 2019-2027 cycle required the city to plan for 952 new units. “For the past six years, we’ve been averaging 44 dwelling units per year. … We still have sites that are vacant that we’ve outlined in [the current housing element], but if those haven’t been built on, we can’t carry them over. You can, but there’s a limit on it, and [the state] asks for more evidence if it’s a site that’s been used in a previous cycle.”

Before taking questions from the council, Kenyon emphasized that the RHNA doesn’t require the city to build a specific number of units. Rather, it requires the city to plan for new housing.

“[The state’s] focus is on whether we have an adequate plan — an adopted and certified housing element — and whether we are completing our plan’s implementation measures,” she continued. “In enforcing housing element law, the state’s focus really isn’t on the number of units that actually get built, since that’s out of our control. …  We are really relying on others to finance and construct the housing.”

If the city fails to comply, it could lose its pro-housing designation and grant funding opportunities, Kenyon said. Persistent noncompliance could result in fines of up to $100,000 per month.

“Holy cow,” said Councilmember Kati Moulton. “Thank you for that informative and terrifying report. Terrifying is not the right word, but boy howdy.”

Councilmembers Scott Bauer and G. Mario Fernandez agreed, each noting that Kenyon’s presentation was “overwhelming” and “intimidating.” Councilmember Bauer asked if the city even has the physical space to build 1,740 new housing units. 

“We don’t have very many vacant, unconstrained parcels … so we need to rely on non-vacant sites, and there’s a higher bar for those,” Kenyon said. “You have to prove there’s a realistic and demonstrated capacity for redevelopment, and we don’t have the type of market demand that other built-out cities like Berkeley might have to really demonstrate that acceptable evidence.”

Kenyon added that Eureka’s downtown is zoned to accommodate 10-story buildings, but said no one has ever sought to construct a building that tall. Still, it’s an option. 

“We do what we can to control what happens, but the market dictates what happens, especially when it comes to median income property,” City Manager Miles Slattery added.

The council agreed to accept the report but did not take any formal action on the item. 

Once the HCAOG selects a methodology for local jurisdictions’ housing allocations, the HCD will review the proposal and approve it early next year. The City of Eureka will have until July 2027 to approve a new housing element for the 2027-2035 cycle.

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A little earlier in Tuesday’s meeting, the city council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Blue Lake Rancheria to assess the feasibility of revamping Dock B as a “regional economic and community asset” for the Port of Humboldt Bay. 

While it might not look like much, Dock B — a 7.1-acre site behind Englund Marine & Industrial Supply, near the Wharfinger Building on Marina Way — is the only Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) in Eureka. That zoning allows corporations to import and export goods at a reduced tax or tariff rate when they enter U.S. markets. There are three other FTZs in Humboldt County, including sites on the Samoa Peninsula, Fields Landing and the Humboldt County Airport.

Eureka Economic Development Manager Swan Asbury noted that there’s been an uptick in interest over FTZs in recent months in response to the Trump administration’s sweeping tariff policies, which renewed interest in Dock B.

“[Dock B] is in pretty bad shape,” Asbury said at Tuesday’s meeting. “It’s been condemned, it’s been through a fire, it’s been through an earthquake, but there’s a couple hundred pilings below it that are still there.”

Speaking on behalf of the Blue Lake Rancheria, Director of Strategic Initiatives Ciara Emery said the Tribe has been interested in “maritime commerce opportunities” for some time now, and is looking to apply for a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant to do something with the site. [DISCLOSURE: The Blue Laker Rancheria is a partial owner of the Outpost’s parent company, Lost Coast Communications, Inc.]

“The tribe is viewing these DOT funds as a potential opportunity, in collaboration with [the city], for getting some feasibility study money to determine what a project might look like, what kind of activities might be fruitful and appropriate [at that location], and working together to find ways to advance tribal sovereignty,” Emery said.

Councilmember Fernandez asked what a “success” would look like and if the Rancheria had any specific plans for the site. Emery said, in the short-term,  the MOU would help the Rancheria’s grant application look more viable and demonstrate that the city is willing to collaborate in the future.

“In the longer term, there’s a lot of interesting things that we all might think about in terms of how is the city supporting tribal commerce, tribe-to-tribe trade, revitalization of the port, especially in light of recent developments,” she said, likely referring to the Trump administration’s recent decision to pull more than $426 million in grant funding from the Humboldt Bay Harbor District for offshore wind port developments. “I think the MOU is as much as both parties can make of it.”

After a bit of additional discussion, the council approved the MOU — linked here — in a unanimous 4-0 vote, with Councilmember Renee Contreras-DeLoach absent.

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After 14 months of construction, Eureka’s Da’ Ya Park is just about ready for playtime! The city’s planning staff gave an update on the park’s construction at Tuesday’s meeting and shared some progress shots.

The city will host a grand opening for the park on Saturday, Sept. 13. More information can be found below.

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[NOTE: This post has been updated from its original version to correct a minor grammatical error.]

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This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

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It’s a common refrain for critics of Gov. Gavin Newsom: Focus on your job.

The jabs have grown louder this year as Newsom launched a new weekly political podcast and traveled to other states that could be pivotal in a potential presidential campaign. A poll in May found that twice as many California voters believe the governor is devoting more attention to boosting his national profile than fixing the problems of the state.

“If he wants to prove to the United States that he would be a good president, why doesn’t he start by leading and actually running the state of California?” then-Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli, who has since been appointed a U.S. attorney, said in a March appearance on Fox News.

But it’s difficult to evaluate what effect Newsom’s extracurricular activities have had on his work, because the governor’s office has not made his full schedule available all year.

Each month, CalMatters requests Newsom’s calendar under the California Public Records Act. While the governor’s office routinely released those documents in the past, it has not provided anything new in five months and has yet to hand over any of his 2025 calendars.

Multiple inquiries about a timeline for releasing the records, a requirement under the law, have been ignored during that period. Representatives for the governor’s legal affairs unit, which handles records requests, wrote that the calendars “will be provided as soon as they are ready for release.”

Newsom’s spokesperson did not respond to questions about what is causing the delay, but said in an email Wednesday that the calendars would be provided when they are “finalized and ready for public disclosure.”

“Governor Newsom has been among the most transparent governors in California’s history and we’ll continue to share his calendar, as always, with the transparency, diligence, and accuracy it deserves,” spokesperson Izzy Gardon wrote. He added, “I look forward to reading your webpost about the hardships you’ve encountered while waiting.”

“This is not difficult — or should not be difficult.”
— David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition

David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, which advocates for government transparency, said it’s “deeply problematic” that the governor’s office has not quickly fulfilled what amounts to a simple clerical task.

“We’re not talking hundreds and hundreds of records that need to be rounded up and redacted. It’s a pretty straightforward request,” Loy said. “This is not difficult — or should not be difficult.”

A fight for public access

California governors have shared their calendars for about two decades.

Previously, Gov. George Deukmejian went to court to protect those records from disclosure, arguing that making his appointments public would discourage people from meeting with him and hinder his decision-making process. The California Supreme Court ruled in his favor in 1991.

Then California voters expanded the Public Records Act in 2004, ultimately compelling then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to begin releasing his calendar. During Gov. Jerry Brown’s subsequent tenure, his office proactively provided his appointments log monthly to reporters who made standing public records requests.

The schedules are of limited utility, because they include only official events, not personal or political activities, and even those are sometimes redacted to protect attorney-client privilege or the governor’s security. Newsom’s calendars from previous years include many days with just a few meetings or no official events listed at all, and the hours are often filled with “work time,” providing no further details.

But because most of the governor’s other records, including emails, remain legally protected from disclosure, calendars offer the public the most comprehensive picture available of who Newsom is speaking to and how he is prioritizing his time. That means their release can still be politically fraught, and numerous administrations have resisted going beyond the minimum requirements.

“It would be so much better for transparency if they just posted his calendar online,” Loy said.

Calendars not produced ‘promptly’

The governor’s office last provided Newsom’s calendars to CalMatters on April 1, for the months of September through December 2024.

When a request is made under the California Public Records Act, government agencies are required to determine within 10 business days whether they have any disclosable documents and, if so, provide an estimated delivery date. The agencies are then supposed to produce the records “promptly,” which is not a defined time frame.

The law also obligates that records be produced as they existed at the time of the request.

The calendars that Newsom’s office has released in the past are PDF files that simply list his schedule in chronological order: date, time, a brief description of the appointment, location and staff lead.

The entries appear to be copied over from a calendar program into a text file, which Loy said is concerning, because the law requires that electronic records are provided in their native format, for proper accountability.

“The whole point of transparency law is ‘trust but verify,’” he said. “We don’t have to take their word that they’re doing it right. We can see it for ourselves.”

Newsom’s spokespeople did not respond to questions about how the governor’s calendar is maintained and in what format.

The delay echoes a similar issue involving Newsom’s tax returns. While they are not a public record, Newsom pledged to be the first California governor to release his filings every year while in office. But he has not done so in more than three years, last sharing a tax return in March 2022, as he was running for re-election.

John Charles Ryder was born on May 27, 1970, in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, to June Jacqueline Pheeney and William Vernon Ryder II. He had two siblings: an older brother, William Vernon (Will/Bill), and an older sister, Katherine Elizabeth (Kate).

John spent his childhood in New England. He lived with his mother and went to school in Portland, Maine, and lived with his father in Newburyport, Massachusetts, just north of Boston. Growing up he was a devoted Dungeons & Dragons player, dirt-bike rider, and then skateboard stuntman. His mother came home from work one afternoon to find a quarter-pipe in her suburban driveway, with John airborne. The pipe blocked her garage for many months despite John’s promises otherwise. He made many life-long friendships during his years in Maine, most who have come here to Humboldt to visit or work with him.

John’s early life was deeply shaped by the passing of his father who died of cancer when John was a young teen. He was with his father in his final moments, an experience that left a lasting impact. These were difficult years and John was a challenge to his teachers, needing them to understand his situation, and to grow his mind - not only grade his tests. His mother enrolled him at North Yarmouth Academy in Maine, a private school where she hoped he would be better guided than in the public school system. He met some of his closest friends there.

In 1989, John graduated high school and moved to California to be closer to his brother, who was in Los Angeles. In the early 1990s he enrolled at Humboldt State University, where he earned straight A’s in his first year while supporting himself as a carpenter. In 1994, his daughter, Emily Eyer-Ryder, was born to Catie Eyer. Emily was raised in Arcata and was, from the day she was born, the love of John’s life. He embedded in her his strong sense of social justice and empathy, and his wicked sense of humor.

John traveled the world widely, always in pursuit of new experiences and good music, to which he was devoted, but he remained deeply connected to the people and land of his adopted home. He was constantly exploring the Redwoods, the rivers, creeks and coast – mapping the land and its history. He farmed in Humboldt and built a beautiful home deep on Fickle Hill, where he was surrounded by trees and birdsong. He never stopped appreciating the beauty and peace of mind that it offered.

John lived fully and with force, touching all in his orbit. He passed on August 28, in a place he loved, surrounded by friends.

John is survived by his daughter, Emily Eyer-Ryder; his brother and sister-in-law, William and Betty Ryder; his sister and brother-in-law, Kate and Per Landemoen; as well as our next wonderful generation - Louise, William, Emma, Ella and little John Ryder.

We are gathering his family and many friends together for a send-off and memorial at:

Bayside Grange on Sunday, September 7, at 2 p.m.

Please join us – All are welcome.

Henry Clifton Clark Jr., 87, of Fortuna, passed away peacefully on August 15, 2025, at his home surrounded by family. Henry was born January 14, 1938, in Idabel, Oklahoma to Henry and Mildred Clark. Henry was the middle child of three children. The family moved a few places before settling down in Pepperwood. He graduated high school in 1958 from Fortuna Union High School. Henry met his first wife, Marilyn, at one of the local barn dances. They instantly fell in love and knew they both shared a love for family and decided to start their own. Henry worked at Pacific Lumber for a short time before moving on to be a diesel mechanic for Peterson CAT. He worked there for over 25 years before retiring.

Henry and Marilyn were married November 21, 1959. They had four children, Joyce, Doris, Bonnie and Marie. Henry was a loving husband and father. Attending his children’s many band concerts and track meets. Henry loved pitching horseshoes, he was the president of the Fortuna Horseshoe club for many years. Henry and Marilyn also loved to square dance as often as they could together. They took their children to the dances to teach them along with other family and friends. Henry and Marilyn could often be found playing Bingo and singing karaoke with their friends. Henry was an avid hunter and fisherman along with a huge 49ers fan. His favorite was hunting deer and pheasants. He would fish for salmon to bring home to smoke.

Though he loved pitching horseshoes and dancing, Henry’s favorite role was being a grandpa and great grandpa. He treasured his time with his grandkids often traveling to visit them. When one of his grandchildren was in need of extra help, he traveled to be with him to help out.

Sadly Marilyn passed away in 2003. After 10 years Henry found love again with Alwilda Stokesberry. They were married December 27, 2014 in Rio Dell. Henry and Alwilda enjoyed singing karaoke together. Henry also enjoyed spending time with Alwilda’s kids and grandkids. He could be found watching and traveling to watch them play baseball and other sports. Alwilda was with Henry until the very end.

Henry is survived by his wife Alwilda Stokesberry; children Joyce McNeese of Eureka, Doris (Cris) Rocha of Tillamook, Oregon, Bonnie (Carl) Miesbauer, of Grass Valley, and Marie (Dan, Kurt, Tim) Debuck of Milton, Washington; 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren; his sisters Juanita Raugh and Romona Bender; many nieces and nephews; by marriage three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Henry is preceded in death by his wife Marilyn (Currier) Clark; his grandson Kj DeBuck; his parents Henry and Mildred Clark.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Humboldt for the wonderful, compassionate care and support during his final days. In lieu of flowers please donate to Hospice of Humboldt at www.hospiceofhumbolt.org 707-445-7397

A celebration of life will be planned at a later time.

[For more about this, you can check out yesterday’s Mad River Union story, or the staff report from the district’s emergency meeting last week.]

Press release from the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District:

The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District will be conducting repair of our transmission pipeline within the next one to two weeks.

Areas Served: Cities of Arcata and Eureka, Humboldt Community Services District and the Samoa Peninsula (including Fairhaven, Samoa, and Manila)

Service Continuity: All communities will maintain normal water service without interruption to residents, businesses, municipal agencies, or community services districts throughout this maintenance period.

Maintenance Details: We will temporarily shut down a portion of our transmission system for approximately 24 hours to repair a critical pipeline. During this maintenance window, local water systems will operate normally using their existing reservoir supplies, ensuring uninterrupted service to all customers.

Important: This is a transmission pipeline repair required to maintain system reliability. No action is required by customers. Voluntary water conservation from customers in the greater Humboldt Bay area over the next one to two weeks will help ensure continued reliable service throughout the region.

Updates: Updates will be posted at www.hbmwd.com

Questions? Contact us at (707) 443-5018

The Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District is committed to transparent communication and reliable water service for all our partner communities.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

In the early morning hours of August 29, 2025, at approximately 4:00 a.m., a Patrol Sergeant conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a bicyclist near 3rd and M Streets for operating a bicycle without the required safety equipment.

The bicyclist, later identified as 45-year-old Jonathon Tucker, initially complied by dismounting and placing his bicycle on the ground. However, he immediately fled the scene on foot. During the ensuing foot pursuit,

Tucker was observed discarding a firearm. Officers quickly apprehended Tucker and recovered the firearm, which was found to be loaded with a high- capacity magazine and confirmed to be stolen. Additionally, Tucker was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine.

Tucker was arrested and transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility. He faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including:

• PC 25850(a) – Carrying a loaded firearm in public
• PC 32310(a) – Possession of a high-capacity magazine
• PC 148(a)(1) – Resisting, delaying, or obstructing a peace officer
• HS 11377(a) – Possession of a controlled substance
• HS 11370.1(a) – Possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm
• HS 11395(b)(1) – Possession of a controlled substance with two or more prior convictions
• PC 666.1(a)(1) – Petty theft with two or more prior convictions
• PC 496(a) – Possession of stolen property
  

If you have any information in regard to this incident, please contact EPD’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) at 707-441-4300.

Maura-Anne Therese Eastman
November 12, 1949-August 21, 2025

Maura-Anne Therese Eastman passed away peacefully at her home in Ferndale, California, on August 21, 2025, with her beloved daughter, Amy, holding her hand. Maura was born on November 12, 1949, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to James and Marion Grady. She spent her early childhood there with her older brother and younger sister before the family relocated to LIvermore, California, in 1956. She attended St. Michael’s Elementary School and graduated from Livermore High School. Maura went on to study at Merritt College in Oakland and began her administrative career at Jackson and Perkins Roses, followed by Lehar Sales.

After moving to Montclair in the early 1970’s, she began working as the administrative assistant for Cowell Memorial Hospital at UC Berkeley. While working in Berkeley, she met her future husband, Tom Eastman, and within a year, on July 19, 1975 they were married in Pleasanton, California. It was at their home in Montclair where their love and passion for landscaping and gardening evolved. In 1982 they decided to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city and purchased the Fortuna Nursery and Flower Shop. Shortly after, they found their forever-home and discovered a love for Victorian architecture, buying the Alford-Neilson House on Main Street in Ferndale, where they lived the rest of their lives. In 1985 Tom and Maura welcomed their daughter, Amy, into the family. Amy loved to spend time at the Nursery and Flower Shop where Maura instilled her love of floral design in Amy, which she treasures to this day.

After the sale of the Nursery and Flower Shop in 1995, Maura returned to administrative work. She briefly worked for Banker Benefits of California before beginning her career with two local Native American tribes. Maura worked for the Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria as they initiated the casino project and quickly moved into the Social Services Department. She built strong connections to the families and staff, which she maintained after making a move to the Wiyot Tribe, also located in Loleta. Maura was the Social Service Director for the Wiyot Tribe before becoming the Tribal Administrator. Over the next decade, Maura took enormous pride in serving the members of the tribe and was honored to be included in many family gatherings and to learn about their traditions. She cherished the friendships she made there for the rest of her days.

Maura spent the next decade of her professional life at Redwood Community Action Agency, serving as the Director of the Youth Service Bureau. She led programs for homeless and runaway youth in her community, including the youth shelter, drop-in center, and programs for foster youth aging out of the system. She was instrumental in the purchase of The Sarah Turner House, an apartment building for youth aging out of foster care and served on many local and state advisory committees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Maura took on the role of CEO of Vector Rehabilitation in Eureka before ending her career in 2023.

Throughout her life, Maura gave so generously of her time and energy, serving on numerous community boards and committees, including: Redwood Memorial Hospital Benefit Ball Committee, California Nursery Association, Humboldt County Human Rights Commission, Humboldt State University President’s Native American Advisory Council, the Workforce Investment Board-Youth Council, Access Humboldt Board of Directors, Humboldt County Alcohol and Other Drug Committee, Southwest Rotary Club of Eureka, Humboldt Housing and Homeless Coalition-Executive Committee, Humboldt Community Task Force as well as the Multi-Agency Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council and many others.

Above everything else in her life, Maura cherished being a mother. Her greatest joy was raising Amy, and considered it the most important role she had. She was a devoted mother and loving wife, as well as a dear friend to many. Maura enjoyed cooking, baking, gardening and visiting with her friends in her spare time. She had award-winning pies and jams she would enter into the Alameda County Fair and floral displays she and Tom would create for the Humboldt County Fair. She was a proud member of the Ferndale Community Choir for over 20 years, which she shared with Amy and sang in her church choir for many years as well. Maura met every challenge life gave her face-on. She was a breast cancer survivor and long-term care giver to her husband. In 2017, after 6 years on dialysis, she was given the ultimate gift of life when she received a kidney donation from her dear friend, Angela Smith-an act of generosity Maura never took for granted. Maura’s strength, sense of humor, grace, compassion, and selflessness were just some of the incredible qualities that so many loved about her.

Maura is survived by her loving daughter, Amy (Korsen Yu); her brother, Jim Grady (Carollane); her sister, Kathleen Tomari (Kazuo); niece, Yumi RIcciardi (Rick); nephews Billy Priest (David), Michael Grady (Maryanne) and Kenji Tomari; great niece Aria Ricciardi; great nephews Declan and Kian Ricciardi; as well as many cousins and extended family. Maura was preceded in death by her parents, James and Marion Grady; her mother and father in law, Joe and Mary Storti; her husband, Tom Eastman; and her niece, Misa Tomari.

A funeral mass will be held on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 4 p.m. at the Church of the Assumption, 546 Berding Street in Ferndale. A reception to follow at the Sitka Wine Lounge at 475 Main Street in Ferndale. If you wish to make a donation in Maura’s name, please consider the dedicated Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department (PO Box 485, Ferndale, CA 95536) or a charity of your choice.